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The Queen's Spies
The Queen's Spies: The Diary of Kitty Lumsden is a fictional diary in the My Story series. It was written by Valerie Wilding and first published in December 2005. The book was republished in May 2008 as To Kill a Queen. It was last My Story book, until the series was relaunched with Princess of Egypt in 2008. Kitty Lumsden witnesses the unfolding of the Babington Plot, a plan that threatens the life of Queen Elizabeth. Dedication :"For my dear friend, Ragnhild Scamell, always there (except when it thunders)" Book description Relaunch= :"It's the 1580s. Queen Elizabeth's enemies plot to kill her and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. While Kitty's father works on secret projects for Elizabeth, her brother's mixing with suspicious characters. As Mary's supporters edge closer by the minute, Kitty fears the worst... that they'll all be thrown into the Tower." Plot In November 1583, Tilly Lumsden encourages her twelve-year-old daughter, Catherine "Kitty" Lumsden to write in a diary. Kitty lives in London with her parents and five siblings. She visits the Tower of London, where her favorite cousin Edmund Middleton lives with his family. The Tower's latest prisoner, Francis Throckmorton is accused of plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and corresponding with Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. One day, Kitty's favorite brother, Joseph brings home a friend, Anthony Babington. On one of his visits, Babington talks with the Lumsdens' about Mary Stuart, "so much so that I began to wonder if he was not half in love with her." After learning by chance that he is Catholic, Kitty becomes suspicious of Babington. The Catholics of England wish to depose the Protestant Elizabeth and crown Mary Stuart, a Catholic. The Lumsdens' are often visited by the Queen's secretary of state, Francis Walsingham, whom Kitty also suspects of being Elizabeth's spy. Francis brings one of his associates, Thomas Phelippes, an expert at deciphering codes. Kitty gets the idea to write messages in code to Edmund in order to avoid his nosy sister, Kathryn. Meanwhile, Babington goes abroad with his friends, returning several months later. Kitty overhears her father and brother, Richard speaking about Francis's plan to intercept Mary's letters. Later, she learns about a priest named Ballard, who is plotting with the Spanish. Eventually, Ballard and Babington are arrested and found guilty. However, thanks to Francis's careful planning, Mary Stuart is also accused to being involved with the plot. A month after Babington's execution, Kitty and her family go to Greenwich Palace, where they meet the Queen. Characters *'Catherine "Kitty" Lumsden', the twelve-year-old daughter of Tilly Middleton from Bloody Tower. Her father works with Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's secretary of state and spy. *'Joseph Lumsden', Kitty's naive older brother and twin of Richard. He is an amiable fellow, but simpleminded. He unwittingly befriends Anthony Babington. *'Edmund Middleton' is Kitty's best friend and favorite cousin. He lives at the Tower of London, where his father works as a physician. Edmund later becomes an apprentice to his father. Author Valerie Wilding is a British children's author. She is the author of six books in the My Story series, including Bloody Tower, Road to War, Highway Girl, No Way Back, and Wartime Princess. Bloody Tower is the prequel to The Queen's Spies. She has also written several other historical fiction books for children and young adults. Editions To-Kill-a-Queen.jpg|''To Kill a Queen'' My Story reprint May 5, 2008https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/products/24560 To-Kill-a-Queen-Ca.jpg|''To Kill a Queen'' Canadian edition (May 1, 2010)https://www.amazon.ca/My-Story-Queen-Elizabethan-1583-1586/dp/1443102431/ References See also External links *[http://www.scholastic.ca/books/view/my-story-to-kill-a-queen/ To Kill a Queen on Scholastic Canada] Queen's Spies, The Queen's Spies, The Queen's Spies, The Queen's Spies, The Queen's Spies, The Queen's Spies, The